🔹 The Foundation Stone — The True Apostle’s Names, in Order
- ΣΙΜΩΝ ΠΕΤΡΟΣ — שִׁמְעוֹן כֵּיפָא (Simon Peter / Shimon Kepha)
- ΑΝΔΡΕΑΣ — אַנְדְּרֵיָּס (Andrew)
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΣ Β’ ΖΕΒΔΑΙΟΥ — יַעֲקֹב בֶּן זַבְדַּי (James son of Zebedee)
- ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ — יוֹחָנָן (John / Yochanan)
- ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ — פִילִיפּוֹס (Philip)
- ΒΑΡΘΟΛΟΜΑΙΟΣ — בַּר–תַּלְמַי (Bartholomew / Bar-Talmai)
- ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ — מַתַּי / מַתֵּתְיָהוּ (Matthew / Mattithyahu)
- ΘΩΜΑΣ — תְּאוֹמָא (Thomas / T’oma)
- ΙΑΚΩΒΟΣ Β’ ΑΛΦΑΙΟΥ — יַעֲקֹב בֶּן חַלְפַי (James son of Alphaeus)
- ΣΙΜΩΝ Ο ΖΗΛΩΤΗΣ — שִׁמְעוֹן הַקַּנַּאי (Simon the Zealot)
- ΙΟΥΔΑΣ Β’ ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ — יְהוּדָה בֶּן יַעֲקֹב (Judas son of James / Thaddeus)
- ΜΑΤΘΙΑΣ — מַתִּיתְיָה (Matthias)
- ΠΑΥΛΟΣ — שָׁאוּל / פָּאוּלוֹס (Paul / Sha’ul)
- ΙΟΥΔΑΣ ΙΣΚΑΡΙΩΤΗΣ — יְהוּדָה אִישׁ–קְרִיוֹת (Judas Iscariot)
Those thinking as I do, that there are no more apostles, you are absolutely correct. And here’s why!
The word in Greek is ἀπόστολος (apostolos), meaning “one who is sent with authority” or “a sent one”—not just anyone sent, but someone sent with the authority of the sender. In biblical context, that sender is Yeshua Himself.
Yeshua said plainly:
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”Matthew 10:40
The twelve He originally sent were called apostles:
“He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them power… The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon…”Matthew 10:1–2
So the term “apostle” is not just honorary; it meant being sent by Yeshua with His authority to establish His foundation. Which brings us to the next key piece:
Apostles are foundational.
“Having been built on thefoundationof theapostlesand prophets, Yeshua the Messiah Himself being the chief cornerstone.”
Ephesians 2:20
Paul calls all of the apostles and prophets part of the foundation—which is already laid. A foundation is laid once. You don’t keep laying foundation stones on the roof.
In 1 Corinthians 3:10–11, Paul said:
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, andanother builds on it. But let each one take care how he builds. Forno one can lay another foundationthan that which is laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah.”
So those original apostles and prophets were the ONLY ones who laid the foundation. That office was unique, and not replicable.
Now, let’s address the qualifications of an apostle as laid out in Scripture.
What were the qualifications of an apostle?
When Judas died, the remaining eleven knew the office of apostle couldn’t just be filled casually. Here’s what they said:
“Therefore, one of the men who haveaccompanied usduringall the time that the Lord Yeshua went in and out among us, beginning from thebaptism of Johnuntil the dayHe was taken up from us, one of thesemust become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
Acts 1:21–22
The requirement was this:
- Had to be with Yeshua during His earthly ministry.
- Had to have witnessed His resurrection with their own eyes.
So Paul never met these qualifications. That’s why you’re not wrong to question whether Paul was a “true apostle” by the original Twelve’s standards. Even Paul admitted:
“Last of all,as to one untimely born,He appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle…”
1 Corinthians 15:8–9
He uses the word ἔσχατον (eschaton), meaning “last of all.” If the Holy Spirit had intended more apostles after Paul, the language here is strange. Paul believed he was the last to whom the risen Christ would appear this way.
Now, we can’t say Paul wasn’t chosen, he absolutely was. But his calling was different. Yeshua didn’t appear to him in the same way as to the Twelve. He was called later, by vision and commission. Paul consistently emphasized that he received the Gospel by direct revelation (Galatians 1:11–12) and not from men, and that his apostleship was not from men, nor through man (Galatians 1:1). That makes his role unique, but not identical to the original Twelve.
Paul even says:
“Are all apostles?” (1 Corinthians 12:29)
Clearly implying no—they are not.
So have there been apostles since Paul?
Let’s answer honestly, by the Word: No.
There is no biblical evidence that anyone after Paul was ever personally commissioned by the resurrected Yeshua, as required.
No one in the New Testament after Paul is called an apostle in the original sense; meaning eyewitness of Yeshua’s resurrection and directly chosen by Him. The letters to the churches in Revelation mention false apostles:
“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you havetested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.”
Revelation 2:2
Even in the first century, people were already falsely claiming apostleship. (They were just “Apostle wannabe’s”). So if it was already happening then, how much more now?
We are told to test the spirits (1 John 4:1). Any modern person claiming to be an apostle—especially as if holding some elite position of authority, is not from God. That office was completed. And to claim it is to lie about seeing the resurrected Messiah and being chosen by Him personally. That’s no small claim.
In 2 Corinthians 11:13–15, Paul warns:
“Such men arefalse apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For evenSatan masquerades as an angel of light…”
There it is: claiming false apostleship is directly tied to hasatan.
If they weren’t there at the Crucifixion nor the resurrection, nor in the upper room at Pentecost to receive the Holy Spirit upon themselves, THEN they were/are NOT Apostles! So… Don’t let them fool nor deceive you!
And THAT is…
Top image made by perchance image generator at my direction (and it took a few tries to get that one to get it right!); Bottom image made by my chatgpt at my direction.